Initially, there was some confusion about Selmon's condition, especially after a spokesperson for his restaurant chain issued a statement that expressed "deep and profound sorrow that we learned of our dear friend Lee Roy Selmon's passing this afternoon." Dewey Selmon quickly refuted that, telling WTSP-TV that his brother was "showing signs of progress."

The spokesperson who emailed the restaurant press release then tweeted, according to the St. Petersburg Times: "It appears that the original statement about Lee Roy Selmon's passing was prematurely released."

Selmon was the expansion Bucs' first-ever draft pick (No. 1 overall in 1976), then went to six consecutive Pro Bowls and was the 1979 NFL Defensive Player of the Year. He retired after the 1984 season because of a back injury, and he was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1995, becoming the first Bucs player to receive the honor.